


The Chase

by dreamweaver11



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Atem helps Yuugi while Yuugi's sick, Fluff, Gen, Yuugi gets sick, dog temporarily steals the Puzzle, sorta Canon Compliance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 10:39:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11621832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamweaver11/pseuds/dreamweaver11
Summary: Yuugi was sick; all the signs were there. His blood burned, his nose ran, his throat felt like sandpaper, and his head pounded. He didn’t miss pneumonia by much. And it was all because of an overly friendly mutt and a worn-out pendant cord.





	The Chase

He had been meaning to replace that cord for weeks. Really, he had. But with midterms before break and the sudden rush at the Kame Game Store, he barely had time to scratch. Unfortunately, because of his procrastination, he was now chasing a playful mutt down the street, his puzzle pendant hanging from its mouth by the frayed rope.

 

“Come back here with that!” Yuugi cried out desperately between breaths. If that dog dropped the puzzle, or let it smash against a wall… It didn’t bear thinking about. He put on an extra burst of speed at the mere thought. The dog, hearing the boy quickly gaining on it, increased its own pace, easily staying just far enough ahead to avoid being caught but not so far as to get away entirely. Having finally gotten the boy to play with it, the dog wasn’t about to give up its fun so easily.

 

Yuugi had been chasing the mutt for what seemed like miles. Every breath rasped in his throat, and the overcast day had turned to rain when he wasn’t paying attention. Stumbling to a stop, he hunched over, gasping for breath. The dog, sensing it wasn’t being chased any longer, returned to just out of arm’s-length, curious. Why was the human not playing anymore?

 

The high schooler looked up once he had caught his breath and glared at the mutt. He lunged for the Puzzle, but the dog was faster, whirling away again. The chase was back on!

 

Through the streets, between pedestrians, around buildings, the dog led the boy, though Yuugi’s pursuit was not as energetic as before. He forced himself to keep up with the dog, as it first pulled far ahead, then dropped back to tease him into a slightly faster pace, always staying just out of reach.

 

Rounding a building, Yuugi slipped in a puddle, skidding across the cement to land heavily on hands and knees before his momentum sent him tumbling into the other wall of the alley. “Oof!” he huffed, breath knocked out of his chest. He lay where he fell, struggling to breathe, soaked to the skin and hands smarting painfully. The dog returned, first staying back warily in case the human tried another grab for its new toy, then came closer, whining repentantly when it smelled the blood beginning to ooze from the cuts on Yuugi’s palms.

 

Yuugi rolled over onto his back, still gasping. The dog dropped the Puzzle down by his side, nosing and licking his face. “Ugh,” Yuugi grumbled, “Thanks but no thanks!” He sat up, wincing as he put weight on his palms. The dog cocked its head to the side as it sat across from him, tongue lolling out and looking indecently pleased with itself. “At least you gave back my Puzzle…” he sighed, too tired to be angry. He picked it up cautiously, tying a knot in the frayed ends of the rope before placing it back around his neck. Sure, he was exhausted, soaked from the rain, filthy from the alley floor, and his hands hurt, but at least he hadn’t lost his Puzzle, and it hadn’t been damaged. If it had, he might never have seen the Pharaoh again!

 

Having recovered his breath, Yuugi rose wearily and began the long trek back. The dog accompanied him for a short time before taking off after some new scent, and Yuugi felt relieved that it was not about to follow him home. He had enough problems without adding a scruffy Puzzle-stealing mutt into the mix!

 

Upon reaching his house, he gingerly dug the key out of his trouser pocket. Letting himself in, he sat down to take off his shoes, only to discover that he hardly had the energy to get back up. The spirit of the Puzzle chose that moment to appear.

 

“Are you alright, Pharaoh?” Yuugi asked.

 

The spirit frowned, concern wrinkling his brow as the boy struggled tiredly to his feet. “ _I was just about to ask you the same question, Yuugi. What happened?_ ” Shaking his head, he added, “ _Perhaps you should tell me later. Right now, you need to get out of those wet clothes, or you will get sick._ ”

 

Yuugi smiled weakly. “Yes, _mom_.” He headed towards his bedroom, struggling out of his wet shirt and trying to climb the stairs at the same time.

 

“It was that dog,” he began, shivering as he shucked the rest of his damp clothes and dug a t-shirt and pajama bottoms out of a dresser drawer. “You know how the Puzzle’s cord has been frayed for a while? Well, it finally broke, and I caught the Puzzle as it fell, but the dog saw the rope and just grabbed it and took off. I chased it all over the city, and I guess it started to rain.” He ducked into the bathroom to grab hydrogen peroxide and bandages before coming back out. “And I slipped and fell, and scraped my hands up, and the dog finally dropped the Puzzle – ouch!” Yuugi had gripped the bottle too tight, pressing grit further into the abrasions on his hands. More carefully this time, he unscrewed the cap and began cleaning the cuts, wincing at the stinging liquid. The Pharaoh hovered over him, helpless to do anything but watch.

 

“It was just playing, but it wouldn’t give the Puzzle back for the longest time…” Yuugi trailed off, exhaustion evident. He also looked flushed and shivered violently.

 

The Pharaoh laid the back of his immaterial hand against the boy’s forehead. Even through his ghostly touch, he could feel an unhealthy heat radiating from his host. “ _Thank you, my friend. But I fear that you’ve made yourself sick, running around in the rain after that mutt._ ”

 

The high schooler looked incredulous. “But I couldn’t just leave you! Or the Puzzle. You know.”

 

“ _I know, and I appreciate it, Yuugi,_ ” the spirit said gently. “ _I just hope that you haven’t caught cold because of me._ ”

 

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine,” the boy replied, teeth chattering as he climbed under the covers, bandaged hands resting on top of the blanket. “It was just a little bit of rain…”

 

The spirit did not reply, and the boy fell asleep instantly.

 

-

 

When Yuugi woke up, he felt _awful_. He was curled in a ball with the sheets wound around him like a mummy; his head pounded, his palms burned beneath the bandages at even the slightest pressure, his throat felt like sandpaper, and his nose was completely stuffed up. He sneezed, then groaned in pain, rasping, “This was _not_ how I wanted to spend break…”

 

As if summoned, the Pharaoh appeared from the Puzzle, again laying the back of his hand against the boy’s forehead. “ _I thought so._ ” His brow wrinkled in sympathy for his young friend, as he reflected that catching colds was one thing he did _not_ miss about having a body.

 

Yuugi closed his eyes, feeling miserable. He was freezing and wished someone were there to bring him a cup of hot tea, but his grandfather was away on a business trip.

 

“I wish you could bring me tea,” Yuugi mumbled, shaking sporadically.

 

The spirit frowned helplessly. “ _I wish that I could, too, Yuugi. But you do need to eat something, and drink plenty of fluids. You mustn’t get dehydrated._ ”

 

“Mmmph,” Yuugi replied, burying his head back under the covers. His limbs felt heavy as lead, and honestly he was not entirely sure that he could stand without falling. It was far easier to stay in bed.

 

“ _Get up, Yuugi._ ”

 

“Mmph!”

 

The Pharaoh sighed in frustration. He did understand, but he physically could not help his young friend, and if Yuugi got worse…

 

“ _Yuugi_.”

 

“…mmmph.”

 

He put one hand on his hip and pinched his brow with the other. There were very few benefits to not having a body. He had been able to rescue Mutou Sugoroku many years ago, but that had been in his own tomb. Now, he was far away from his final resting place and had very little power over physical objects. Including this stubborn boy, apparently.

 

Sighing again, he sat on the edge of the bed and placed a translucent hand on Yuugi’s blanket-covered shoulder, willing some strength into him. “ _Come on, Yuugi. You know that I cannot help you if this becomes worse than it already is. So please, get up._ ”

 

The boy stirred slightly, pulling the blankets away from his face. “What… was that?”

 

“ _What was what?_ ”

 

“Sudden burst of energy, when you put your hand on my shoulder.”

 

The spirit looked surprised. “ _I… don’t know. I wanted to impart strength to you, but I did not think it would actually succeed._ ” He looked thoughtful, then a look of concentration came over his face. Yuugi sat up.

 

“You did it again,” the boy said. “But it’s fading.”

 

The Pharaoh allowed himself a small smile. “ _Then get up. I’ll help you, as much as I am able._ ”

 

Yuugi forced himself up and, with the Pharaoh’s help, navigated the stairs and the kitchen, preparing some canned soup and a pot of tea, loading it with honey. Upon return to Yuugi’s room, though, both were relieved to be able to rest after the ordeal.

 

“I didn’t know you could do that, Pharaoh,” Yuugi murmured sleepily, climbing back into bed.

 

The spirit shrugged. “ _Neither did I. But I am glad that I can be of some assistance while you’re suffering from this cold._ ”

 

“Yeah…” Yuugi trailed off, struggling to keep his eyes open. His shivers had diminished, but he still curled into a ball in the corner of his bed, and he kept jerking his eyes back to the spirit as if afraid that the Pharaoh would vanish.

 

“ _Yuugi._ ”

 

“Yes, Pharaoh?”

 

“ _Go to sleep. You are obviously exhausted._ ”

 

The boy leveled a look at his friend. “So’re you,” he slurred out tiredly.

 

The two locked gazes for a moment before the spirit sighed in a long-suffering way. “ _We both need rest. But don’t worry; I’m not going anywhere._ ” He smiled, and added, jokingly, “ _I feel pretty sure that the mutt cannot get into here to steal the Puzzle for another game of chase._ ”

 

He sat down upon the edge of the bed as his young friend nodded reluctantly. Although the spirit could not be physically exhausted without a body, lending his strength had drained him. Yuugi scooted over to give him room to lie down. “G‘night, Pharaoh.”

 

With little hesitation, he lay down beside the boy, closing his eyes and letting his soul relax. “ _Sweet dreams, Yuugi._ ”


End file.
